Warning signal system



Dec. 1, 1942. M. s. BALES WARNING SIGNAL SYSTEM Filed Dec. 12, 1940 ATTORNEY,

% 2VEIEITO BYM r Patented Dec. 1, 1942 WARNING SIGNAL SYSTEM Max Gordon Bales, Anderson, Ind., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Application December 12, 1940, Serial No. 369,849

8 Claims.

This invention relates to systems of control for automobile horns and more particularly for auto mobiles which are equipped with a low volume horn for use in city driving and with a high volume horn for use when driving in the country.

It is an object of the invention to provide a system in which a brief closure of the horn button for the control switch will cause only the sounding of the low volume horn and in which a prolonged closure of the horn button will cause the high volume horn to sound also. In accomplishing this object I provide a system of relays including a time delay relay in order that the sounding of the high volume horn will be withheld for a predetermined interval after the c1osing of the horn button for the control switch.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodi ment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a wiring diagram illustrating the embodiment of the present invention.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are fragments of the diagram shown in Fig. l and show the relay of the system in different stages of operation.

According to Fig. 1 the warning signal for city driving is provided by a pair of low volume horns and 2! having different frequencies and so related that a harmonious chord, is produced. For country driving or for use in an emergency the system includes a high volume horn Z2.

' Horns 2E and 2| are connected with ground and ture 44 is attracted downwardly to carry its contact 45 into engagement with a contact 46 connected with a wire 41 which connects wire 24 with coil 42. When armature 44 moves downwardly, a contact 48 insulatingly carried thereby is moved away from contact 49 which it normally engages.

Relay 5% comprises a core 5i surrounded by a copper sleeve 52 and by a coil 53 which is grounded at one end and connected at the other end with a wire 54 connected with contact 48 of relay 4t. Core 5! is provided with a pole face 55 plated with a non-magnetizable substance such as chromium. The armature 55 of relay 5%! seals against pole face 55 when the former is attracted downwardly to carry contact 53 into engagement with contact connected with coil 42 of the relay M1. Downward movement of the armature 56 carries a contact 59 insulatingly carried thereby away from a contact 65 connected by wire 6| with high volume horn 22.

The normal status of the system is shown in Fig. 1. When the driver desires to sound the high volume horn 22. the switch 33 is held closed for a period longer than would be required for ordinary city driving during which a short blast from the horns 2!) and 2! would suffice as a warning signal. After relay 25 closes in response to the closing of switch 33, coil 53 of relay 50 is connected with the battery through a circuit indicated in heavy lines in Fig. 2. This causes armature 5! of relay to be attracted downwardly and to seal against the core 55. The engagement of contacts 5'! and 58 causes attractwith a wire 24 connected with stationary contact ing coil 42 of relay to to be connected with the 26 of a horn relay Contact is normally battery in a circuit which parallels coil 53 of separated from contact 21 carried by armature relay 5a as indicated by heavy lines in Fig. 2. 28 attracted by an electromagnet including core Since coil 42 of relay to is connected with the 29' and a coil Armature 28 and coil 30 are battery, armature M of relay Ail moves downconnected with battery 3| grounded at 32. The wardly to separate con acts 48 and 49 and to circuit of the coil so is controlled by a control engage contact Mi and 45, as shown in Fig. 3. switch or horn button 33 comprising stationary This movement of the armature M therefore contacts 34 and 35 and a movable contact 3"; causes coil 53 of relay to be disconnected from normally held away from the stationary contact the battery while coil 42 remains connected. by spring 3i. When switch 33 is closed, relay 45 The reason that this condition can exist is becoil 3c is energized and relay contacts 27 and cause there is appreciable time lag between the 26 close in order that low volume horns 20 and interruption of the circuit of the coil of the 2! may be connected with battery 3!. relay 5!} and the return movement of its arma- In order to withhold operating current from ture Not on; is coil 2 of relay to connected the high volume horn 22 for a predetermined with the battery but also coil 43 which alone time after the closing of switch the present is sufficient to hold armature M downwardly system provides two relays 4i! and Relay although coil might be disconnected. The comprises. a core 4-! surrounded by a main atstatus of the circuits at this stage is inditracting coil 42 and a holding coil 43. When the cated by the heavy lines in Fig. 3. electromagnet of relay 4!] is energized the arma- Finally after the magnetism of relay 5!; has

slowly decayed, the armature 56 finally breaks away from the core 5| and contact 5'! is separated from contact 58 and contact 59 reengages contact 60. The circuit of coil 42 of relay 40 is interrupted; but, since coil 43 provides suflicient magnetic pull to hold armature 44 down, contacts 45 and 48 remain engaged so that a circuit between wire 4! and wire 6! is maintained, shown in heavy lines in Fig. 4. Therefore, horn 22 is connected with battery 3| and is caused to sound a loud warning signal.

Because a substantial period of time elapses during the operations of the relays through the various stages indicated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the sounding of the horn 22 has been withheld for a predetermined time after the closing of the control switch 33. In this way the sounding of the low voliune signal for city driving and the high volume for country driving is controlled through a single switch or horn button. The high volum signal is caused to sound only when the driver presses the horn button for a period longer than is usually required to give the ordinary city warning signal.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted. all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A system according to claim '7 in which the last named means comprises two relays respectively controlling switches in series in the auxiliary signal circuit, one switch being normally open and the other normally closed. and having provisions for opening the normally closed switch and closing the normally open switch and provisions for permitting the normally closed switch to re-close while maintaining the normally open switch in closed status.

2. A system according to claim 7 in which the last named means comprises two relays, one a time lag relay having a magnet coil, the other a relay having an armature attracting coil and an armature holding coil, the first relay controlling a normally closed switch in the circuit of the auxiliary signal and a normally open switch in the circuit of the armature attracting coil of the second relay, the second relay controlling a normally close-d switch in the circuit of the magnet coil of the first relay and a normally open switch in the circuit of the auxiliary signal and also in the circuit of the armature holding coil of the second relay, the time lag of the first relay being such that the closure of the normally open contacts of the first relay overlaps the closure of the normally open contacts of the second relay.

3. A system according to claim 7 in which the last named means comprises two relays, one of which controls a normally closed switch in the circuit of the auxiliary signal and a normally open switch in the circuit of the coil of the second relay, the second relay controlling a normally closed switch in the circuit of the magnet coil of the first relay and a normally open switch in the circuit of the auxiliary signal, and provisions responsive to the closing of the normally open switch of the second relay for maintaining said normally open switch of the second relay in closed status regardless of the re-opening of the normally open switch of the first relay.

4. A warning signal system comprising a current source, a main signal, an auxiliary signal, a normally open, manually controlled switch for connecting the main signal with the current source, a series of three switches for connecting the source and auxiliary signal, one switch being said normally open, manually controlled switch, the second being normally open, and the third normally closed, and means responsive to the closing of the first switch for opening the third switch and for closing the second switch and then responsive to the closing of the second switch for permitting the third switch to re-close while maintaining the second switch closed whereby the current source is Withheld from the auxiliary signal until reclosing of said third switch completes circuit connections through the three switches in series.

5. A system according to claim 4 in which the last named means comprises a relay having a magnet coil responsive to the closing of the manual switch for opening the third switch, and a second relay whose magnet coil is energized in response to said operation. of the first relay, said second relay operating to close the second switch and to disable the coil of the first relay, and means rendered operative by the closing of the second switch by the second relay to maintain the second relay operative to hold the second switch closed as long as the first switch remains closed, regardless of the return of the first relay to normal status following the disabling of its coil,

6. A system according to claim 4 in which the last named means comprises a relay having a magnet coil responsive to the closing of the manual switch for opening the third switch, and a second relay whose magnet coil is energized in response to said operation of the first relay, said second relay operating to close the second switch and to disable the coil of the first relay, and means rendered operative by the closing of the second switch by the second relay to maintain the second relay operative to hold the second switch closed as long as the first switch remains closed, regardless of the return of the first relay to normal status following the disabling of its coil, the last named means compris ng an armature holding coil on the core of the second relay.

7. A warning signal system comprising a main signal, an auxiliary signal, a current source, manually controlled means for connecting the source with the main si nal and for establishing a connection in the circuit between the source and the auxiliary signal, and means set into action by the establishment of said connection for withholding the completion of the circuit between the source and the auxiliary si nal until after the lapse of a predetermined period of time and then for maintaining the completion of the circuit between the source and the auxiliary signal continuously so long as the manually controlled means is operating, whereby the main signal operates so long as the man 7 controlled means operates and the auxary oal begins to operate a predetermined time after the main signal begins to operate provided the manuall controlled means is still operating, and whereby both signals operate together until operation of the manually controlled means ceases.

8. In a system of control for a plurality of electrically operated signal devices having different characteristics, the sub-combination of a means for withholding the application of current from one of said signal devices for delaying the operation thereof, said sub-combination comprising two interdependent relays, one having a magnet coil and having a substantial time lag release and the other having an armature holding coil as well as an armature attracting coil, said first relay, when energized, operating to open-circuit said one signal device at one point and to effect energization of the armature attracting coil of the second relay, the said second relay, when energized, operating to open-circuit the coil of the said first relay and to close a circuit for the said one signal device at another point and to effect energization of the armature holding coil of said second relay, said first mentioned relay, after its delayed flux decay, operating to complete the circuit of the said one signal device and to open circuit the armature attracting coil of the said second relay, said second relay then remaining energized due to its armature holding coil.

MAX GORDON BALES. 

